variants
also ascetical
as in monastic
formal
relating to or having a strict and simple way of living that avoids physical pleasure
He committed to having an ascetic existence during his rehab. an ascetic diet of rice and beans
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Dissimilar Words
as in prude
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ascetic
Henry Wiencek
july 22, Literary Hub, 22 July 2025
Quarantine by Jim Crace This 1997 novel follows Jesus during his 40-day ascetic retreat to a desert cave.
—Mia Barzilay Freund, Vogue, 7 July 2025
Martin lived an ascetic and solitary life, and often denounced overly cerebral art.
—Melissa Febos, The Atlantic, 9 June 2025
And yet when people need a portal into or proxy for spiritual awakening, Alice Coltrane’s music often becomes integral, a newfound household name, because her staggered textures are gracious enough to accommodate both the ascetic and the philistine.
—Harmony Holiday, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ascetic
Noun
Wells was as quiet as White was loud, as eccentric as White was flamboyant, as ascetic as White was sensual.
—Henry Wiencek
july 22, Literary Hub, 22 July 2025
Quarantine by Jim Crace This 1997 novel follows Jesus during his 40-day ascetic retreat to a desert cave.
—Mia Barzilay Freund, Vogue, 7 July 2025
Martin lived an ascetic and solitary life, and often denounced overly cerebral art.
—Melissa Febos, The Atlantic, 9 June 2025
And yet when people need a portal into or proxy for spiritual awakening, Alice Coltrane’s music often becomes integral, a newfound household name, because her staggered textures are gracious enough to accommodate both the ascetic and the philistine.
—Harmony Holiday, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ascetic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ascetic
Adjective
-
With a frill-less monastic setting, this institution has several London locations, but Smithfield is the OG, serving signature dishes like roasted bone marrow and oven-hot madeleines available by the dozen and half dozen.—
Nicole Trilivas,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Sep. 2025
-
The story of a woman’s retreat into monastic life is familiar; somewhat less familiar is Wood’s use of the modular form.—
Nathaniel Moore
September 10,
Literary Hub,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
In fact, the prudes among us might need hand fans.—
Sandra Gonzalez,
CNN Money,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Give the Original ‘Twister’ a Spin Barbara Peeters is no prude.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
19 July 2024
Adjective
-
This feels more important than ever in a world that tries to normalize genocide and climate catastrophe as the inevitable outcome of ongoing and increasingly authoritarian imperialist projects.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Oct. 2025
-
In all of our studies, this mindset was also strongly associated with authoritarian attitudes, including beliefs that some groups should dominate others and support for autocratic government.—
Abraham Rutchick,
The Conversation,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
There’s often some kind of hitch, but still, most agents are straight arrows who play by the book.—
LEW SICHELMAN,
Miami Herald,
5 Feb. 2025
-
Purdy was such a straight arrow as a kid, his worst transgressions were playing doorbell ditch, Patchett said.—
Julia Prodis Sulek,
The Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2024
Adjective
-
These methods, while less exacting, are also woefully undemocratic, allowing lawmakers to act independently from and against the interests of the American public.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Another essay in the collection, written by Sarah Maitland, is more exacting.—
Anna Bruno
September 19,
Literary Hub,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
For over two and a half hours, After The Hunt is unrelenting, making audiences feel increasingly uncomfortable with its blurred lines and unanswered questions.—
Rachel Choy,
Refinery29,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Over the past nine months, the Administration has waged an effective, unrelenting assault on higher education.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Whoever wins or doesn’t win, Markman is adamant that trophies don’t define us.—
Andre Gee,
Rolling Stone,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Much to the dismay of Gen Z striving for success with a manageable work-life balance, CEOs are adamant that intense schedules are essential for anyone looking to make it in business.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The festival would know that better than most, juxtaposing classical music—and its expectation of monkish silence—with the heart of Chicago’s downtown, and the human mix therein.—
Hannah Edgar,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Aug. 2025
-
Obama has retreated into monkish silence, broken only for special occasions such as celebrity deaths and the recording of Bruce Springsteen podcasts.—
Isaac Chotiner,
The New Yorker,
17 July 2024
Cite this Entry
“Ascetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ascetic. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
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